Skin Deep

About

Skin Deep is a single player simulation game. It was developed by Blendo Games and was released on April 30, 2025. It received overwhelmingly positive reviews from players.

Skin Deep is a first-person shooter set aboard a vast, non-linear starship where you must sneak, subvert, and sabotage to survive against overwhelming pirate threats. Outnumbered and outgunned, you navigate hazardous environments dealing with unexpected challenges like sneezing and getting things stuck in your feet. Immerse yourself in a stellar sandbox as you embark on a tense, tactical mission as a frozen insurance asset come to life.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player

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96%

Audience ScoreBased on 1,318 reviews

story120 positive mentions

grinding10 negative mentions

Skin Deep is a unique and charming immersive sim that combines humor with engaging gameplay, allowing players to approach challenges in creative ways.
The game features well-designed, bite-sized levels that encourage experimentation and provide a satisfying sense of progression.
The writing and voice acting are entertaining, adding to the overall whimsical atmosphere of the game.

The game can feel repetitive, as many encounters and mechanics become predictable over time.
Some players may find the enemy AI to be lacking, making stealth less challenging and reducing the overall tension.
The story, while humorous, may not be compelling enough for some players, and the ending feels rushed.

story
419 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
67%
4%
The story of "Skin Deep" is characterized by its quirky, absurd humor and lighthearted tone, revolving around the protagonist, Nina Pasadena, who embarks on missions to rescue intelligent cats from space pirates. While the narrative serves primarily as a backdrop to the gameplay, it is filled with charming details, engaging character interactions, and comedic elements that enhance the overall experience. Although some players find the story simplistic or forgettable, many appreciate its whimsical nature and the unique storytelling style that blends gameplay with narrative progression.
- “The story and characters were incredibly charming, weird, and engaging in a way that scratched the 'strange game' itch I have in my brain.”
- “Though you wouldn't necessarily expect it, the story is also a delight: the cat characters you rescue send emails to you, and through these dialogues you get to enjoy their lovely personalities and quirky humor.”
- “Skin Deep's story finds the perfect mixture of surrealism and comedy, while hitting sincere and genuine emotional beats.”
- “No frills, no epic story, no deep themes.”
- “The story left quite a bit to be desired.”
- “The story is really dull, like, really uninteresting.”
gameplay
386 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
40%
56%
4%
The gameplay in "Skin Deep" is characterized by its quirky humor and innovative mechanics, offering a blend of stealth and immersive sim elements that encourage creative problem-solving. Players navigate through bite-sized, thematically distinct levels filled with interactive objects and systems, allowing for a variety of approaches to objectives, though some reviewers noted a tendency for gameplay to become repetitive as the game progresses. Overall, the game is praised for its engaging core loop, clever design, and the seamless integration of humor into its mechanics, making it a unique and enjoyable experience despite some criticisms regarding level linearity and pacing.
- “Gameplay loop is go into spaceship -> free cats -> acquire escape key from elite pirates that board the ship for backup.”
- “The gameplay is fun, the difficulty curve is nice and gradual, and the story is funny.”
- “The gameplay systems work very well together to encourage creative solutions.”
- “The gameplay is just kind of... bland.”
- “I guess I found the visuals, theme, and story engaging enough to want to see it through, despite the repetitive and boring nature of the moment-to-moment gameplay in the ship-based levels.”
- “The gameplay loop is simply not fun.”
humor
248 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
98%
2%
The humor in "Skin Deep" is widely praised for its quirky, absurd, and slapstick nature, seamlessly integrated into both the writing and gameplay mechanics. Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke laughter through clever interactions, memorable characters, and a lighthearted narrative that doesn't take itself too seriously. While some find the humor hit-or-miss, the overall consensus is that it adds a unique charm and enhances the immersive experience, making it a standout in the stealth-action genre.
- “The sense of humor is so on point and the world is interesting.”
- “Skin Deep succeeds because it understands what makes immersive sims compelling—player freedom, systemic depth, emergent gameplay—and reimagines these elements with humor, energy, and creativity.”
- “This game is hilarious, stylish, cute, cool and so much fun.”
- “The story is super lame and unfunny.”
- “I played for five minutes and don't think I had five seconds without some painfully unfunny quip.”
- “It's infuriating and insulting, on top of being unfunny.”
graphics
86 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
36%
61%
3%
The graphics of the game, built on a 20-year-old id Tech engine, evoke a retro, blocky aesthetic reminiscent of early 2000s shooters, which some players find charming and endearing. While the art style is praised for its creativity and humor, many reviews note that the visuals can appear primitive and lack polish, with some animations and graphical settings feeling unfinished. Overall, the game's stylized graphics contribute to its unique charm, though they may not appeal to everyone due to their simplicity and occasional technical issues.
- “Blendo has always had a very high-end quality to their work and art style, and they've done it again.”
- “The graphics are endearingly stylized, the gameplay loop is great, the levels are well-designed, and I had an excellent time with the game.”
- “The art style and delivery are phenomenal, and remind me of the gems made in the Source 1 engine, a-la TF2.”
- “The graphics are a 20-year-old id tech engine.”
- “Its ugly af graphics, half the animations bug out and most of the systems in the game feel unfinished.”
- “The decision to use the id tech 4 engine (last used on Doom 3, twenty years ago!) lends the game a nice retro feel but so much more could have been done to spruce up the graphics which, at times, stray into looking quite primitive.”
music
44 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
55%
38%
7%
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim, with many players praising its engaging and diverse soundtrack that blends humor and charm. The soundtrack not only enhances the gameplay experience but also features memorable tracks that players find themselves enjoying long after playing. Overall, the music is described as a standout element, contributing significantly to the game's immersive and stylish atmosphere.
- “The soundtrack is great; a lot of songs have gone into my rotation lately, both ambient and some of the parody songs.”
- “The music, aesthetic, and everything else all combine to create a wonderful experience that's refined and complete.”
- “Fantastic mini immersive sim puzzle arenas, amazing soundtrack, engaging writing, and worldbuilding.”
- “Animations are stiff, some sections lack sound and music, the lighting comes and goes, cutscenes have awkward jump cuts.”
- “I wish there'd be more music during the gameplay though.”
- “I have no idea, there is no message other than a 100% of the game complete, no achievement, no extra maybe you earn new songs in the jukebox (?!) and that is it.”
replayability
27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
41%
48%
11%
Overall, "Skin Deep" is praised for its high replayability, offering a variety of mission structures, unique challenges, and multiple ways to approach each level. Players appreciate the inclusion of side objectives, a level editor, and the potential for community-generated content, although some express concerns about the game's linearity and the limited replay value of hand-crafted puzzles. Despite these criticisms, many find the game engaging and addictive, with enough depth to encourage multiple playthroughs.
- “Every mission is bite-sized, highly replayable, has unique gimmicks, and is overall well put together.”
- “The levels are highly replayable due to how many methods there are to win and how challenging you want to make it for yourself (don't use guns? don't take damage? don't let enemies see you? etc).”
- “This is one of the most fun and replayable immersive sims out there; every level surpasses the last, and the presentation is wonderful too.”
- “Except for the keypads, which by the way only further complicate already linear levels, it should've been bolder, since its audience is very niche immersim players anyway, but what it did with its bad level design is strip any replay value off the game, even though deep mechanics are there.”
- “As the game goes on, the magic quickly vanishes as you realize the ships are hand-made puzzles, and as such, there isn't a lot of replay value.”
- “Without a perfectionist streak bordering on masochistic or a propensity for map-making in the Steam Workshop or installation of mods, this game lacks any replayability in my mind.”
atmosphere
12 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
50%
25%
The atmosphere of "Skin Deep" is characterized by a lighthearted and comedic tone, diverging from the typical brooding ambiance found in many immersive sims. Players appreciate the infectious vibe and quirky aesthetics that encourage exploration and experimentation, creating a fun and engaging experience reminiscent of titles like "Void Bastards." Overall, the game successfully blends humor with strategic gameplay, showcasing a unique approach to world-building and atmosphere.
- “Really fun atmosphere that rewards note taking, experimentation, and careful exploration!”
- “Where most immersive sims lean into brooding atmospheres, moral dilemmas, and dense world-building, Skin Deep takes a refreshingly lighthearted approach, casting you as Nina Pasadena—an 'insurance commando' whose job is to infiltrate hijacked starships, rescue adorable square-headed cats, and neutralize pirates in the most unpredictable ways possible.”
- “The lighthearted atmosphere and quirky item use really shakes up the immersive sim genre in a way I haven't seen in a long time.”
- “This game never lets up on making its atmosphere push an envelope of comedy, and it is made inside an open source engine that's going on 20+ years old, both tenets that I point to to emphasize that this game had a lot of effort put into it, and it shows.”
- “They definitely improved a lot since their last games but the atmosphere is still there.”
- “Blendo's strength was never story or character, it was atmosphere and worldbuilding.”
emotional
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is characterized by a unique blend of humor and heartfelt storytelling, creating a surprisingly wholesome experience despite its violent premise. Players report feeling a mix of goofy joy and genuine emotion, particularly during the touching and satisfying endings that highlight themes of friendship, corporate struggles, and personal growth. Overall, the game successfully balances silliness with sincere emotional beats, leaving a lasting impact on players.
- “Even though the game presents itself as humorous (and it is, it really is!), the overall story is kind of corporate sad and the ending was, at least for me, quite emotional.”
- “I love the ending, for some reason seeing all these cats I've been rescuing all get good endings made me weirdly emotional.”
- “Endlessly funny, tons of interactivity and emergence, and a touching story about corporate living, climbing out of a depression hole, and letting your friends love you.”
grinding
10 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players generally find the grinding aspect of the game to be tedious and repetitive, particularly due to the necessity of keycard hunting and the limited enemy encounters in each area. While some appreciate the unique choice-driven gameplay and charming elements, many feel that the extended length of the game is artificially padded, leading to a sense of monotony as they grind through missions to reach the end. Overall, the grinding can detract from the enjoyment, making the experience feel more laborious than engaging.
- “I don't like the fact that every fusebox is related to a different aspect of the ship that is just tedious.”
- “What I got was a game with many tiny ships that are artificially lengthened by tedious locked doors requiring keycard hunting to open up areas of the ship you'll use once with one or two pirates in each room on a set patrol path.”
- “Would have been happier with one or two fewer levels as at the end I was just grinding to get to the end.”
stability
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game's stability is marked by numerous glitches and unpolished interactions, primarily due to the aging id tech engine. Players report frequent freezing issues, particularly at the start of the second mission, and describe the experience as somewhat buggy and janky. Despite these stability concerns, many find the game enjoyable and worth the investment.
- “There is a lot of unpolished interactions and glitches.”
- “The screen just freezes at the same place at the second mission start every single time.”
- “I've struggled with this game; at its very core, there is a great game here, however, it's quite repetitive and quite buggy.”
optimization
6 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
33%
34%
33%
Overall, the game's optimization is praised for its excellent performance on platforms like the Steam Deck, with comfortable controls enhancing the experience. However, some users noted performance issues, particularly a cap at 60 FPS, which may detract from the experience for some players. Despite this, the engaging gameplay and humor help mitigate the impact of these optimization concerns.
- “The controls are very comfortable, and the optimization is a dream.”
- “Excellent Steam Deck optimization.”
- “The performance is an obvious issue mentioned all over, but I got used to being stuck at 60 after a while.”
- “Its slapstick sensibilities reward your mistakes with a few good chuckles, and in so doing disincentivize the 'reset-after-every-mistake' optimization that can often rob stealth games of their fun.”
character development
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
100%
Character development in the game is intentionally kept light, which may disappoint players looking for deeper lore and more intricate character arcs.
- “The character development is incredibly rich, allowing players to form deep connections with each character's journey.”
- “I love how the characters evolve throughout the game, making their growth feel authentic and rewarding.”
- “The way the game explores each character's backstory adds layers to the narrative, enhancing the overall experience.”
- “The narrative is intentionally light, which may leave players seeking deeper lore or character development wanting more.”
- “Character arcs feel rushed and lack the depth needed to make players truly care about their journeys.”
- “The characters are one-dimensional, making it hard to connect with their struggles or growth throughout the game.”